davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22
A PLANT from Washington.

Tothe Editor Sew York Star:
| wish 10 bear testimony To good
point when | see one. la your yester-
days paper criticising Judge Browns
remarks. you say: The opposition that
does most to thw art the efforts of the
best men among Democrats ~ that OF
Republican incumbentS OF federal Of
fees" Corr, ct. While the heads Of the
departments Are Democrats the workers,
politically and otherwise, are the subor-
dInatps. IL II the subOrdinates who in
the aggregate do all the business Of the
govern ment, and in dong So virtually
controls lis affair: while the heads uf
the departments, having 10 ign their
names TO the acts Of the sulordnates,
incur and are charged either with the
praise or the blame for il. To not only
illustrate but prove the correctness Of
your point. | could cite care in the
Pension Office, where "A Democratic eN-
Union soldier. who had received nsion
nearly twenty years from Republican al
ministratiunR, ard was getting last 500
per month Was. by the scheming Of the
Republican officials def over in the Pen
sion Office, with the signature but
without the knowledge of the ease 10y
the head Of that department, dropped
from the pension rolls for the purpose.
as the pensionor claims, To get him q
expose and COMPLAIN of his own party
friends in power. lie cannot complain
that the Republican subordinates did 80
and so. lie naturally and properly
brings the charges against the Pension
Office, which is supposed Ia be in
charge and conducted 10y the
Democrats. This ca,e alone, MAX
ing its rounds among the G.. \.
II. posts, will cost the Democratic
party many vote, But there is an
other feature Ia this spectacle. The
Democratic heads Of the departments,
assuming that the Republican subordi-
mates know all about and are therefore
better qualified To expose past Republi-
can abuses, which it appears they pre-.
tend TO do in order Ia hold position under
the opposition party, are gwen prefer
ence for this reason; but as no man can
serve two masters at the same time, they
are bound TO be false "a one. l. &.
Washington. Feb. -.
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22
MARTHA WASHINGTON


The treason of Arnold was not the only vii
lainy Washington had to contend with. The
Tories We're not the only outlaws Pretended
"Whigs" Pundered alike friend and foe a.
opportunity offered. None We're more dreaded
at the east end of Long Island by the Amer
lean residents during the British occupation
than the American cowboys from the Con
necticut shore, who, crossing in whale boats
robbed them numerically. American of
ficers were detected stealing plate and bed
ding from unprotected American farmers at
White Plains.
1t has been said that Washington was not
a great general" But does not geueralShip
and methods of action depend on the nature
of the difficulties to be overcome! Leader
ship implies something more than command
ing armies and striking blows. There are in
statecraft and diplomacy foes against whom
the only weapons to be employed are pa
thence, gentleness, fOrbearance; and the real
leader, Toe he i'll camp or court, must be the
tactician in human nature well as the tao
tician in troops and artillery.
None but the leader in any movement can
realize how entirely he controls that move
ment-how firm his grasp of the forces
which have conducted il to successful
terminatiOn-hOw strong the devotion and
sympathy from individuals and subOrdinates
which has become his from personal asso-
citation.
When Washington, at Newburg, resigned
command of the American army he had as
regards temptation to continue i'll power
something more than the remuneration of all
unlawful authority He saw before him
scores of brother otficers-men of refinement
and superior intelligence, who on the disband
ment of the army would be literally beggars
who had not in their pockets the money to
buy single meal. He we'll knew that re-
publics are ungrateful and forgetful He
knew that these men, some already past their
prime and enfeebled in body by the privationS
and hartShlps of seven years war, would
have to commence life anew, and as regards
previous training and experience, at a great
disadvantage i'll entering the lists of the sci
fish world of business He saw for the future
in these sad lives and SAD examinations to
those lives He knew Through the continu
ance of his authority, no matter how the form
or name was disguised, that he could provide
these men with positions which would have
secured them and their families n comfortable
living. He in the near future of his own
time that the scheming politician would
thrust the honest soldier aside, and that all
the elements of demagOgiSm and corruption
We're rampant for action SO soon the mill
tary power should be exchanged for the civil
Such temptation to hold power, coming of
sympathy, may with some be- even stronger
than that arising from love of power. In
reSigning command of the American army
Washington knew that he was Indirectly con
signing many of his brother officers To pow
eTty, almost beggary. The hardest No re-
quire,i 10y Justice is To say NO" to the plead
inss of ones own heart for near friends.
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

this old home of the Washingtons will see an
ancient heronry, which was doubtless a ia
miliar object to Lawrence Washington's sons.
William, John and Lawrence. For the her
ons and rocks Of England are as tenacious of
their holdings as the doughtiest country
squire who dates the ownership of his lands,
or, which is all the same, the lands of his an
cestors, from the time of William the Con-
querOr, or even further hack.
At one time, however, unlike the country
squire, the herons meditated abandoning their
ancient hold They took To building in a
neighboring spinney; but the head keeper
wasn't going to stand that, and so tore the
nests down, and the herons went back to their
oil place.
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

Stonewan Jackson would have so managed
as to have given all Boston notice that they
We're to march to a village seventeen miles
distant and capture military stores.
Washington marched and fought his fluc
tuating force much of the time without any
base of supplies. His men lived from hand
to mouth" How many teams laden with
-four and other necessaries could have fol-
lowed the American army after the diSas-
trOus rout ON Long Island and the midnight
passage Of the East river. His powder and
cannon were fabricated at places liable at any
moment to sudden capture by the English.
Throughout the entire war there was not
county embraced in the colonial territory
but was subject to incursion by the enemy at
any moment, possibly all it, able bodied men
far absent in the Continental army and with
the Tories ON the ground ready TO assist and
betray. The British navy barred the whole
sea coast. Their vessels could penetrate bays
ami ascend rivers where our people had not a
gun man to repel them.
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

In idealizing heroes the world degrades
them into mere distractions rs dopriying
them of their humanity. Their contempt
raries may have known them hosh and
bood, but the following generation doubts if
they ever wore anything but flowing robes or
ate anything but ambrosa.
1t Is therefore refreshing To discover that
one hero, George Washington, was 50 human
a. 10 order his coats, waistcOats and breachcs
from London tailor, and that he insisted
upon their being stylish and fitting.
Another fact which brings Washington
within the range of our sympathics j. that he
was fond Of tripe, and ordered it from Bris-
toll, England, because brand which be could
obtain there was superior to any mHda in New
York or Massachusetts,.
Once upon time Cary * 90. Of London,
the-,omrnis-ion merchants who turned Wash
ington's tobacco crops into hard cash, pre-
sented him with two jar Of Bristol picked
tripe. Each jar held about tw" gallons.
There was a special pottery mt Bristol for tho
manufacture Of these jars, each Of which had
burnt on it, front surface tn curer's name,
"a guarantee of the genuineno>, Of its
contents.
Dear Cary" he wrote to the senior mem
Der OF the firm, Mrs. Washington joins me
in warm thanks 10 you for your considerate
present of two large stone jars Of picked
tripe. / must ask you 10 arrange for four
similar jars, iu wicker basket casing, packed
in outer casks, to bc shipped for my account
direct from the owners. Dental infirmity i'm
pels my caring for this necessary item ia our
domestic comnIlssariatH
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

ton was confded To Bird, "a Royal acade-
nician and one of the ATTEST artists i'm por-
traiture then living.
All doubt a. tothe portrait of Mary. Wash
ingtOn's mother, i removed by a letter. dated
in 1872, from Washington 10 Mr.. Charles
Carter, who married niece of Washington
and had offered his services in getting the
portrait repaired. In this letter Washington
says:
The portrait is identified with my whole
life My mother gave it me- and the large
hole was thrust through it in course of wagon
travel To Philadelphia quarters. Under the
Disagreement, Mrs. Washington AMI myself
ever afterwarl preferred il hanging in INV
bedroom, where it, wounded, unfinished and
apparently neglected condition escaped fire.
quent unpleasant remark. Any change
wrought III the picture beyond repairing the
hole would be the reverse of Improvement to
my eye. am happy above measure in hav-
ing it, wounded and apparently neglected. a.
it is, rather than incur the penalty Of its alb
sence." The picture was painted a few
months before the birth of her llu-triols SON
Washington told Sharples that hi, mother
was the most beautiful woman he had ever
seen.
The defaced picture was sent to England.
transferred to a new canvas, and. while the
likeness was preserved, it was improved As
much as possible. IL has ever since remained
in the possession of the Cary family in Eng
land. During his last visit to England Gen.
Grant saw the portrait. IL Is the only por-
trait of her i'll existence. Ii has been repro
duced by the Autotype company, London
and appears in Maj. Walters book. Memo
rails of George, Mary and Martha Washing
toE,n from which the accompanying picture
IS taken.
Mary Ball, Washiugton's mother. was the
daughter of IA wcll-tO-lO Virginia planter.
She was born i'll l'Oi. Was carefully brought
up and religiouSly trained. Ou March q,
1870, at the age of -, she became the second
wife of Augustine Washington, Il friend and
neighbor OF her father. The welding was
celebrated with the old time generou, hos
pitaliry of Virginia.
Her husbands home was in WcStmoreIand
county, Va, on an eminencc about Lalf
mile from the Potomac river. II was a mod
est little country house of four rooms and an
attic, and had an enormous chimney at each
end. On the river front was VlIzIa. Here,
the 22d of February Il Ith old styleI. I1.s3
George Washin. ton was horn.
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22
WASHINGTON.

from book entitled Memorials of Washing
ton and of Mary, his mother, and Martha, his
wife, by James Walter, recently published by
Charles Scribner's Sons, we copy the following
exquisite sonnet from the pen of Francis
Bennoch the loved and gifted friend of Mary
Russell Milford Nathaniel Hawthorne aud Long
fellow 1t has been suggested that the two final
lines would serve admirably an inscription for
the pedestal of the national monument.-ED.l
Before thy tomb, great statesman, have bowed,
In humble reverence, knowing well the zeal
With which thou struggled for thy people,
veal,
Struggled and conquered, Never tempest cloud
Could stay the lightning of thy heart, nor shroud
That quenchless courage which made despots
reel
And men, downtrodden, of thy prowess proud,
And now gaze with rapture on thy face,
So calm and deep in thought, transcenGiing earth
BY Sharplrs iimned, where dignity and grace,
And force combined to give a nation birth,
With power to speak and liberate the race;
OF freedoms bravest leaders there none
Whose fame oershadows thine, heroic Wash
ington-
FRANCIS BENSocH.
To
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

There arc two rront temptations 90 which
a careful lou s.lrrppor T. liable. one is % hll
her servants bands SO fun with the regular
work that when extra requirements come, nS
In times Of company or Hines or house clean
ing. she herself must b. the one 10 fulfil
them. The other is wherever she snos in
capacity in amy department of tle work 10
make up the deficiency hy her own efforts.
Ia this way she viii nccumulate n variety ~
tasks, such n tho care Of favpr,te humps, the
busting of bfie-a-brac, tho tlaForing 81 GUS
tarl- and mixing Of snlnds, not 10 speak Of
the packing of lunohc, ani arranging OF
trays for nsalilS which is great comfort
TO herself AMI others TO have done with
nicoty Bat il she does not limit her desires
in this direction these tnslss viii certainly
trench upou tBo time ana stronrth required
for oNcr.islIi and planning, not 70 speak II
rest. nui tia constant occurrence ot the uu-
fOrcsrrn sin steal aWay the remainder N.
T. Bennett in Good housekeeping.
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

perpendicular from the immortal cherry
tree 10 the gate post Of the door yard, thickly
studded with nails II was these nails which
impaired the blade of the Ratchet, as You can
see in the portrait. Much surreptitious hack
ing had done its fatal work The Damascus
edge of tue honored implement was slightly
disfigured The severe strains to which the
brave AK was subjected unsettled the handle
a little. This defect George overcame by
means of a few nails boldly driven in ON tho
thither side of the axe. They can be seen in
the picture.
We got our information, as well n glimpse
at the hatchet, from an old settler, also
from several hundred of Wnshingtons old
nurses and Iody servants still alive each ono
of whom j. possessed Of the only true hatchet.
Hence there need Ice no question raised of the
authenticity of either this history or this
picture. Several handles to this hatchct were
worn out during Georges youth, and the one
here u, pictc was the last
The cherry tree would tell n tale if il could
but it cannot. After G., orge cut it down IT
was used up, piece by piece. To make cherry
correctional. of which George, il j. said, took
his share. The above i, however, n true rep
rescntation of it in the days of its vigor and
strength. Looking upon it, many will excuse
George for cutting it down. Falling as it did,
a victim to the infantile hatchct, it attained
historic Immortality, and gave its lie to the
cause of truth, even as its destroyer gave his
To the cause of freedom
IL was never much for cherries anyway.
The boys in the neghbornood, who stole its
cherries whenever they had IA chance, said
they were poor, wormy things at the best.
The thing that astonished us the most is the
undOuljtcd fact that the elder Washington set
any store by this tree at all. ID Is down in
the books IA his favorite trec-a statement he
would correct doubtless were it in his power
to do So or else cherry trees were scarce ar
ticles in those days.
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

England in l1s9, and in that day was consid-
cred a magnificent thing, and attracted all
eyes when ii appeared in public. Ii was
drawn by four and sometimes by six horses,
and manipulated by a liverie,l driver and
position and accompanied by outriders. The
coach was of cream color. and was suspended
OH heavy leather straps resting on iron springs.
1t was furnished with Venetian blinds and
black leather curtains. Upon each door the
Washington arms was emblazoned, and upon
the panels on each side of the doors were de-
signs emblematic of the four seasons, painted
on copper, on a dark green ground.
The carriage, once owned by Washington,
that is depicted here was built 10y Clark Of 4
street, Philadelphia, and was known a.
the white chariot. IL was exhibited at the
Sanitary fair i'll Philadelphia, and has been
used in professions of great public interest.
Washington had two other caTTiages-the
English one and one made in France The
English one was cut up by Bishop Meade and
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22
WHAT LACK WE YETI

When Washington WAS president,
As cold as any icicle,
He never on a railroad went,
And never rode bicycle.
He read by no electric lamp,
Nor heard about the Yellowstone;
He never licked a postage stamp.
And never saw a telephone.
His trousers ended at his knees
By wire he could not words dispatch;
He filed his lamp with whale oil grease,
And never had q match u scratch.
But in these days it's come TO pass,
All work il with such dashing done,
We've all these things but, then, alas!
We SEEM TO have no Washington.
ROBERT J. BURDETTE
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

ENGLISH HOME OF THE wASHINGTONS.
About II mile from this cottage stands, upon
n hilltop, the ancient brown stone church
where Lawrence Washington--the father of
John-worshiped, and within which he is
buried with his wife and several children. A
stone slab in the pavement of the aisle marks
the spot This stone bears the Washington
coat of arms, ON one-half of which are two
stripes with three stars above them, which
stars and stripes, some people have thought,
found their way into our national flag.
The monuments in this Brington church
are very fine and are in an excellent state of
preservation. In the civil wars of Cromwelrs
time his soldiers took pleasure in breaking
the noses and otherwise defacing the recum-
bent figures over the ancestral tomhs in the
many churches and cathedruls of England
But Edward Spencer was Puritan and a
friend of CromwelGS, and it was through his
Influence that these excellent memorials in
Brington church were spared.
For some Years before his emigration to
Virginia., Sir John Washington lived in
Yorkshire; hence the tradition that George
NaShI lStons ancestors came from the north
of EnSi.mi. And So they did, but the true
cradle OF the r,trc was in Northamptonshire.
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22
SuonewaIi's Ghost Again.

Lexington Letter TO Richmond state.
The ghost had ceased to appear until
last night. when it again showed itself
quite az much surrounded by mystery AZ
on the preceding occasions. At o'clock
on the night of February 9th the ghost
was seen 10y the sentinel TO emerge from
the State Library, pass along the stoop
and into class room No. 8. The officer
OF the day" and lieutenant of the guard
were promptly informed. They forth
with proceeded to Jackson's old class
room, where the ghost had been seen to
enter. They could see il by the faint
light admitted through the windows.
WITH book in hand and hat lying ON the
table in front Of il. it, attitude was that
of professor listening TO "A recitation.
la few minutes IL proceeded TO the
blackboard. where II went through the
manmuvre of writing notes on "A lecture,
and then il took from the trough "a long
pointer IN its right hand. faced toward
the seats usually occupied 10y the class,
and then went through IA series Of gCs-
lures as though delivering "A lecture, at
intervals placing the pointer on the board
as though TO explain something written
upon it.
After having Witnessed the IcrfOrm-
ance for "A few minutes the officer of the
day and sentinel of the guard entered the
room, but no sooner had they crossed the
threshold than il vanished. The gas was
lighted and the board thoroughly exam.
med, but no traces Of writing could be
found upon II. Thorough Investigations
are being made, and | will advise you
Immediately # there are any other dis
coveries. The cadets are trying to keep
the matter quie. until an explanation il
given
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22
HABITS OF WASHINGTON.
His Early Hour of Rising and Hi, Excess
i've Dignity

His Early Hour of Rising and His Excess
i've Dignity
The newspapers tell, as a bit of surprising
news, about President Clevelands extraOr-
binary energy in beginning the business of
the day at o'clock in the morning. The
readers who are astOnished over this extraOr-
binary activity have forgotten how far
Washington beat this record. The father Of
his country would have regarded a man who
opened his business office at : o'clock a
hopeless sluggard. He was up daily at 4
o'clock, and had things fairly humming about
the house good while before O. Life was a
busy affair TO him. He let no grass grow
under his feet He wasn't what we call n
"rusher" in these degenerate DAYS in one
sense. He didn't fly around rapidly, and do
things TIN. keen jump as SO many Ameri-
cans do now, and kill themselves AT the same
time. He moved with dignified deliberation,
but he kept right at work from { o'clock in
the morning until 10 o'clock at night, and
accomplished great deal more than those
who bang and slam through life, hurrying
one hour and IOafing three.
In many other RESPECTS Washington was
different from the great men of today. He
carried more personal dignity than our entire
government. There il "A story about some
man, not an inferior. either, placing his hand
on the great mans shoulder in friendly way
once, but only once. He said he wouldn't do
it again to save his own life \ youth Of to-
day, who had read everything about Wash
ingtOn he could lay bis hands on. remarked
that from all he could learn Washington must
have been about the best man to spoil a
picnic that ever lived. When he rode out
when he president it was in solemn
and awful state, in the historic coach
drawn by four dignified and self-respecting
horses, with Il severe hammered driver ON the
box, straight laced footman besides and
an Outrider. What would he have thought
of Grants leisurely walks about the
capital, of LincOln's lonely outgoing
during the dangerous days of the war of
the easy movements of all our presidents in
these latter days: Yet we must not blame
him for his excessive dignity. 1t fitted the
times. He and his people brought their grim
ideas of official dignity from England,
where royalty believes il necessary 10 hedge
itself about with much form lest il lose its
power of impressing the people with its per
sOnal grandeur. The idea then obtained that
greatness must be removed above the heads
of the multitude in Order To keep it great And
for a long, long time after Washington died
people wrote about him they would write
about a god, not a. they would write about
"A man. At last they got him far out of
the reach Of human sympathy that the young
who read about him thought that he was
something more than mortal. consequently
his great force of character was supposed to
be nothing more than such gO,like creature
ought To be- endowed with as a matter of
course.
But Washington was made by the process
which has made great men through all time
the discipline of life viewed from a stand
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22

This Is the only authentic portrait of the
famous George Washington hatcuct ever
made Very few living persons have any
idea Of the exact shape of that historic agent
OF truth. Ii was no ordinary ten cent counter
toy Ratchet. No, indeed Ii was an imposing
AMI awe inspiring weapon, which dii some
service ia domestic and even destructive
way. The Indians had n Wholesome ,spoct
for IL, and gave Mrs. Nnshng,onS cottage "A
wide berth Armed with this formidable
battle aN. George inspired terror in every
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22
WASHINGTON'S MOTHER.
The Only Portrait of Her in Exis-


1t has been generally believed that no por
trait of Gen. Washington's mother existed
but according to Maj Walter, author of "AIe-
MORALS of Washington just published by
Scribners of New York, there j. one portrait
by an English officer named Middleton
The painting was terribly nutjlatcd during
a journey to headquarters in Philadelphia.
SharpleS, when at Mount Vernon painting
Washington and his wife, wa consulted "a ia
what could be done with it. \ large hole had
been ground out of its centre, several partially
disjointed pieces of the canvas bad been
roughly glued on an improVised back, but il
was not i'll presentable condition. Washing
ton sent it To England for repair. Is restora-